Jerrick scrolled faster and faster, his thumb flying until he hit the bottom of the file.
At the very end of the dossier was The Raven's final assessment.
[Based on available intelligence, it is an absolute certainty that a direct connection exists between The Panacea and Serena Lancaster.]
[No definitive proof of identity has been secured at this time.]
[Hypothesis One: The Panacea is an operative covertly deployed onto Project Zero- Transit by Serena Lancaster.]
[Hypothesis Two: High probability that The Panacea is Serena Lancaster herself.]
The moment he read that final line, Jerrick's chest tighted painfully.
For a split second, the sound of the mercenaries' boots echoing around him seemed to fade into a distant hum.
The Panacea. Serena.
How could that be possible?
That impossibly arrogant, money-obsessed woman who had practically torn Project Zero-Transit apart from the inside out...
How could that be his sister?!
Before he even boarded this ship, he had personally confirmed her safety.
Serena had touched the tactical suit he delivered to her.
The tranquilizer woven into the fabric lining had been custom-synthesized by his best contacts.
Colorless. Odorless. The second it made contact with the skin, it flooded the bloodstream.
It wasn't a lethal dose; it was just enough to put her into a deep, untroubled sleep.
He had prepared it specifically to prevent her from sneaking onto the ship behind their backs.
By the time she woke up, Project Zero-Transit would be thousands of miles out at
sea.
He would take her place. He would board the ship and execute the vengeance she was so desperate for.
He had watched her touch the suit with his own eyes.
He had double-checked, verifying that she had slipped into a deep, chemical slumber.
She was supposed to be safe at home, waiting for him to clear out the danger before returning to her.
How could she possibly be here?
How could she be parading around as The Panacea, unleashing absolute chaos across the entire ship?!
It was impossible.
It had to be impossible.
Staring at that final hypothesis, Jerrick's immediate instinct was to reject the dossier completely.
Maybe... maybe it was just The
was sta proxy hihet Raven's first hypothesis. Maybe
sister had se
sent
Gontent
Or maybe The Panacea had some other hidden connection to Grandma Aria that no
one knew about.
But the harder he tried to deny it, the more his mind snagged on the memory of watching The Panacea walk away earlier. That wishakable feeling that he was missing something massive.
Now, that thin veil of doubt ripped wide open.
Every little detail he had brushed off came rushing back in blinding clarity.
From the moment she boarded, The Panacea acted like she only cared about the payout.
Every move she made seemed calculated for maximum profit.
Saving Specimen Seven for the administration? She did it for the money.
Taking the role of Specialized Medical Consultant? Money.
Attending the Obsidian Sun High-Value Auction? Money.
It looked like she was nothing more than a mercenary for hire.
But... when
the actually broke down was any of it really actions,
the tactical impact of those actions,
the cash? Gontent
No.
From the second Specimen Seven lost control.
From the exact moment she severed Obsidian Sun's neural lock.
Every single move she made was a precision strike aimed directly at the syndicate's throat!
Step by step.
Link by bloody link.
Every blade she drew had found its home in Obsidian Sun's back.
She wasn't some opportunistic scavenger, and she wasn't just pulling a violent heist.
From the moment she set foot on Project Zero-Transit... she had been hunting them!
And then there was tonight's auction.
Why had The Panacea insisted on dragging Specimen Fourteen onto that stage?
At the time, he thought she had hijacked the augment just to secure the bio-data and research specs.